Margaret Luger-Nikolai is an American lawyer and politician who represents district 64A in the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the DemocraticâÂÂFarmerâÂÂLabor Party, she was elected in a special election in January 2026.
Luger-Nikolai has B.A., M.P.P., and J.D degrees from the University of Minnesota. She represented trade unions and employees as an outside counsel before becoming a labor attorney for Education Minnesota, an education trade union, in 2010. She has chaired the Governing Council of the Minnesota State Bar Association's Labor and Employment Section and is a member of Minnesota's Public Employment Relations Board. She has been a fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers since 2025. She has also taught courses at the University of Minnesota Law School.
District 64A, which is entirely within the city of Saint Paul, was represented by Kaohly Her until she was elected mayor of St. Paul in November 2025. Luger-Nikolai won a six-way DemocraticâÂÂFarmerâÂÂLabor primary election for the seat on December 16, 2025. She was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in a special election on January 27, 2026, with 95% of the vote. Her election came during the backlash against the fatal shootings of two Minnesotans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Luger-Nikolai was sworn in on February 3, 2026, alongside Shelley Buck, who was also elected in a January special election.